the wooden houses flared up like matchsticks : BURN, blaze, go up in flames.
his injury has flared up again : RECUR, reoccur, reappear; break out, start suddenly, erupt.
I flared up at him : LOSE ONE'S TEMPER, become enraged, fly into a temper, go berserk; informal blow one's top, fly off the handle, go mad, go bananas, hit the roof, go up the wall, go off the deep end, lose one's rag, flip (one's lid), explode, have a fit; Brit. informal go spare, go crackers, do one's nut; N. Amer. informal flip one's wig, blow one's lid/stack, have a conniption fit.
2192; headword